A service provider is an entity (e.g., a business or an organization) that sells bandwidth of or access to a network (e.g., the Internet, a data network, a telecommunication network, etc.) associated with the service provider. Service providers may include telecommunications companies, data carriers, wireless communications providers, Internet service providers, cable television operators offering high-speed Internet access, etc. Service provider networks enable users to access resources provided by enterprises (e.g., companies, government agencies, universities, etc.).
An enterprise often needs to authenticate a person (i.e., an end user associated with an enterprise) requesting use of the enterprise resources, and often provides some form of authentication of the end user. However, in many cases, it is preferable to have the service provider network perform this function on behalf of the enterprise.